Kaltefleiter: Did Holder's cap merit inquiry?

There are a few unwritten codes that differentiate the college game from the professional ranks.

Plunking a batter for retaliation's sake is accepted in the minor and major leagues. Doing it in college is considered taboo.

Stealing second with a five-run lead in the eighth isn't frowned upon so much in college where leads vanish more quickly than D.B. Cooper. Pull that stunt beyond college and the next pitch is headed for a hitter's ear hole.

Then there's the questionable move that North Carolina State coach Elliott Avent made in the fourth inning of Georgia's 11-4 victory Friday afternoon.

"He kept going to his mouth and going to his hat a lot," Avent said. "It was a humid day and your hands tend to sweat. It was a good day to put a little pine tar or rosin on your hat. Mike checked it and said it wasn't too sticky so he was OK with it."

In the pros, it wouldn't have been a big deal. Sure the pitcher and his team might have been a tad miffed after being accused of cheating, but it's a scene that's not atypical throughout the course of the season.

In college, a coach asking an umpire to check a pitcher for a foreign substance is like witnessing a perfect game. Yale winning the College World Series is more likely.

Avent seemed genuine in his concern about Holder's mound routine. He claimed it wasn't gamesmanship or an attempt to jolt Holder mentally.

The timing of his rarely seen request suggested otherwise.

MULTIMEDIA

AUDIO: Listen as pitcher Trevor Holder talks about being checked

by the umpire in the fourth inning:

Georgia had just erased N.C. State's early 2-0 lead with a four-run third inning to boost Holder. The thing was, Holder's change-up wasn't exactly making U-turns at home plate. The velocity of his fastball was just better than average.

If anybody should've been checked for foreign substances it should've been Avent's starter, Clayton Shunick. His breaking balls, which were legit, danced like Usher. He was so precise with his off-speed stuff, he threw one for a strike with Robbie O'Bryan taking on a 3-0 count.

Georgia coach David Perno, who left the dugout and spoke to Coulin after Holder was deemed not guilty, didn't seem too thrilled about Avent's move. He bit his tongue, nonetheless.

"I don't worry about it," Perno said. "I saw when he went out there I knew what he was inquiring about. You could see the mark. I'm not smart enough to follow that type of stuff. It's never been something I get involved with. It blew me a way from that standpoint because you never see it."

If Avent's true intention was to rattle Holder, it had the opposite effect. Holder retired 14 of the next 19 batters and allowed no extra-base hits after his run-in with Coulin.

Though an out shy of his first career complete game, Holder will be remembered for his performance Friday.

So will Avent.

John Kaltefleiter is the sports editor of Banner-Herald. E-MAIL: john.kaltefleiter@onlineathens.com. PHONE: 706-208-2239